Smoking in public places to be banned

[Bifta]

Originally Posted by monkeybreath

surely trying to stop people from smoking isn't a good thing from the governments point of view.... think of all the money they would then not earn from the hideous tax on cigarettes they would have to find a new way to con it out of us....

**goes off to contribute to the petrol prices thread**

And believe me they will, from a medical point of view I agree with it (despite me being a heavy smoker) but countries that have introduced a ban like this are already taxing the knackers off people in other ways.

[punky]

I'm a non-smoker, and being borderline asmatic, it makes me cough, but instead of the government pushing everyone around, i'd prefer to let free markets do its thing. If you want to smoke, sit in a smoking area, if you don't, sit in the non smoking area. If non-smoking truely has the support of the british people then surely plenty of pubs and restaurants will open up as entirely non-smoking.

The point is, you should have the choice. At the moment, I have the choice of being in a non-smoking area, or with my mates in a smoking area. Which is what it should all be about - choice. Nobody is forced to breath in cigarette smoke. If you have to force anything, then maybe a certain standard for air-conditioning ventilation, would be nice.

[Chris W]

Originally Posted by punky

I'm a non-smoker, and being borderline asmatic, it makes me cough, but instead of the government pushing everyone around, i'd prefer to let free markets do its thing. If you want to smoke, sit in a smoking area, if you don't, sit in the non smoking area. If non-smoking truely has the support of the british people then surely plenty of pubs and restaurants will open up as entirely non-smoking.

The point is, you should have the choice. At the moment, I have the choice of being in a non-smoking area, or with my mates in a smoking area. Which is what it should all be about - choice. Nobody is forced to breath in cigarette smoke. If you have to force anything, then maybe a certain standard for air-conditioning ventilation, would be nice.

excellent post

agree with you 100%

[Russ]

Originally Posted by punky

I'm a non-smoker, and being borderline asmatic, it makes me cough, but instead of the government pushing everyone around, i'd prefer to let free markets do its thing. If you want to smoke, sit in a smoking area, if you don't, sit in the non smoking area.

Yes, so we can watch the smoke slowly drift over to our section.

Originally Posted by punky

If non-smoking truely has the support of the british people then surely plenty of pubs and restaurants will open up as entirely non-smoking.

And where's the money going to come from to be able to build enough pubs to cater for the non-smokers? Remember Swansea's statistic - 1 N/S pub out of 60.

Originally Posted by Russ D

Oh no, I don't agree with a total ban because it brings in such high revenue for the government plus the addiction is apparently hard to give up. Plus, like drugs, you'll never ban it completely.

I'm shocked. You don't agree with a total ban because it has a financial benefit but you accept that inhaling nicotine, tar etc causes an addiction which is incredibly difficult to stop without relapse. I'm sure that you would also accept that inhaling these products whether man-made or naturally occuring has a detrimental effect on our health, in fact possibly/probably resulting in death (as illustrated by your not wanting your daughter to be in a smoke polluted environment). But you're willing to allow this to continue....... as long as those that don't chose to smoke aren't affected?
It sounds like you're saying that it's alright for people to damage themselves..... commit suicide if you take the argument to the extreme... as long as there is a financial benefit for the government which will inevitably get diffused to benefit the rest of the country? There's no moral highground to stand on when you're giving something to someone with one hand and then slapping them with the other for taking it

Let me step forward and say......... my name's kink....... and i'm a smoker.
Started when i was 16..... gave up for 7/8 years and started again about 2 years ago. Do i beat myself up over it? No. I'll stop again...... hard as it might be right now..... but i will when it's right for me but at this moment in time i don't want to. Pointless to try.
However..... i'd relish a total ban....... just to see if those who DO attempt to take the moral highground ie the govt are prepared to give up their addiction to blood money. Its the same for pubs, clubs etc who are anxious about losing the revenue that they would lose from not having smokers in their premises....... it will be interesting to see if money talks for them also. I always ask those around me if i can smoke and sometimes they say no and sometimes yes..... either way i'm more than happy to go outside and smoke there... it's my addiction, my pleasure and i deal with it. I live with 3 other people in my house.... i'm the only smoker..... i only smoke in my room even though i haven't been told that i cannot do so anywhere else. It's a case of respecting the lives of other people..... ruining mine is my choice

Apologies to russ if that wasn't the way he intended to be interpreted..... but that's what i read and responded to

[Russ]

Flippin' 'eck Kink, you're on the ball today!

No, what I meant is what I believe will be more likely to occur. Of course health benefits outweigh the financial but look at it from the government's point of view - when it comes to looking after our health and taking our money, which have they chosen to do since time began?

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Russ D

Yes, so we can watch the smoke slowly drift over to our section.

Exactly! Thats the problem....we are often exposed to the smoke when we are nowhere near it's source......like in a playground ffs!

[punky]

Originally Posted by Russ D

Yes, so we can watch the smoke slowly drift over to our section.

Don't go there then.

Originally Posted by Russ D

And where's the money going to come from to be able to build enough pubs to cater for the non-smokers? Remember Swansea's statistic - 1 N/S pub out of 60.

If it is what people want, people will go there. The popularity would mean people would have to convert to stay competitive. You don't have to build a non smoking pub, you just have order people to stop smoking, in a perviously smoking pub.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by punky

Don't go there then.

I don't - I'm just pointing out how n/s areas will mean little or nothing.

Originally Posted by punky

If it is what people want, people will go there. The popularity would mean people would have to convert to stay competitive. You don't have to build a non smoking pub, you just have order people to stop smoking, in a perviously smoking pub.

Yes, that's what you'd think but we've been trying that for years and all we have to show for it is 1 pub in 60.

[ZrByte]

Personally I would like to see smoking banned completeley, wether people are addicted or not.
However the realist in me can never see that happening, I would settle for a ban on smoking while driving, since I started riding my bike just over a year ago I have nearly been blinded by hot ash beeing flicked out of a window twice (this can also cause a fire in a car if it goes through your window and lands on your back seat), I had somebody nearly hit me at a red light and started beepng at me like I shouldnt have stopped (like red doesnt mean stop or something), had one nearly take me out when they tried to turn right at a junction while I was coming the opposite direction, had one slam on the breaks on a 40mph zone slowing down quicly to about 10mph so they can light up I nearly went right into the back of them (If I had been in a car I would have, luckily bikes stopping distances can be as little as half that of a car).

And all of the above where smokers.

I would also like to see a ban on smoking in public places like town centers, all to often I have come home with cigarette burns on my clothing because I have brushed past a smoker.

Pubs I really dont have a problem with at the moment though I think pubs should have a smoking area with the majority of the pub beeing for non-smokers, rather than the whole pub be a smoking area with a little corner for non-smokers.

[Alanmelon]

As a non-smoker, I would have to be in favour of these moves. I'm all for people having choice, but when their choices affect others (which occurs regardless of having a few non-smoking areas) then it's time for something to be done about it. I've never known a single nightclub which has an effective non-smoking area, and you always leave stinking of cigarette smoke, not accounting for the potential detriment to your health.

As for the loss of tax revenue for the government - how about the money saved in the NHS through not having to pick up the pieces?

[NitroNutter]

yep smoking should be banned from all public buildings I dont disagree with that.
Also cigarettes should be where they belong as they are DRUGS, in the hands of pharmacies only, not in almost any shop who will sell to children regardless of the law.
Also as most now believe in passive afflictions they must also accept that passive addiction can also exist, especially where a child is or was subjected to a very high smokey enviroments. these people need more help than a few patches, as some of them were passivley addicted from a very early age and may even have started full blown smoking before 10 years old they require the best help in the best rehab centers courtesy of the NHS. after all it would be cheeper to provide rehab even 2 or 3 times than to pay to try to cure them of cancer etc how ever many times they get it. This is why theirs tax on cigarrettes so the government say, not to pay the government but to pay the cost of the extra health.
So when they put their money where their mouth is do as a bove or better then we will know they are for real

[sonygeezer]

People make me sick if you don't want to inhale other peoples smoke then don't go to places that allow smoking. If you didn't want to say play bingo then you wouldn't go to a bingo hall would you so what the hell is the difference. The trouble is that the majority of people don't smoke but can't be arsed to complain so they want the government to do it for them.
Ps I am a non smoker.

[NitroNutter]

Originally Posted by sonygeezer

People make me sick if you don't want to inhale other peoples smoke then don't go to places that allow smoking. If you didn't want to say play bingo then you wouldn't go to a bingo hall would you so what the hell is the difference. The trouble is that the majority of people don't smoke but can't be arsed to complain so they want the government to do it for them.
Ps I am a non smoker.

And theres probably a lot of people who would like to perhaps not breathe their own smoke but as government action is as poxy as usual many will never give up, even if they try the patches and once aweek counsel sessions.

There is one thing though about banning smoking in public places. it for sure is discrimination and that is illegal. afaic a smoker has a disability of a kind and current trend is to be disabled friendly. So where does the line get drawn for discrimination, others poisening others, if the law was to be followed a smoker could not be banned but could be screwed for damages it was found he/she caused a condition that resulted in serious illhealth to a non smoker.
Popcorn should be banned aswell imho as it causes me serious ill health.

Oh more of the NANNY state again.Treating us like children,ban this,ban that.The trouble is where does it eventually stop.When will we be able to behave like adults IF every form of choice is removed?

Oh and I'm a non smoker who lives with a smoker.We have an adult relationship about his smoking.WE compromise and reach adult agreements.WE do not need any government intervention to do this.

I feel a little more understanding and acceptance of other people's position is a far better way to deal with the realities of life than through legislation.Legislation should be a last resort,education should be the first resort.

Incog.